Alcoholism imparts a large socioeconomic burden on the healthcare system in the United States, affecting an estimated 12% of the population, a prevalence greater than that for all other drugs of abuse combined. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of alcohol dependence remains limited. As a result, there are few currently approved therapeutics designed to reduce alcohol cravings or withdrawal symptomology, and abstinence remains the only effective way to prevent the tissue damage that results from chronic alcohol abuse. As such, treatments designed to reduce alcohol cravings or ameliorate tissue damage resulting from chronic alcohol abuse are needed.